RISE: Spicer apologizes; GOP gets scare in Kansas; Romo night spoiled

Holocaust comments were 'inappropriate and insensitive;' Republicans win closer than expected; Mavs lose while honoring former Cowboys QB; and more headlines to begin your hump day, Wednesday, April 12, 2017.

The Associated Press

SPICER APOLOGIZES FOR ‘INSENSITIVE’ REFERENCE TO HOLOCAUST

WASHINGTON — White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer apologized Tuesday for making an "inappropriate and insensitive" comparison to the Holocaust in earlier comments about Syrian President Bashar Assad's use of chemical weapons — remarks that drew instant rebuke from Jewish groups and critics.

Spicer said in an interview with CNN that he was trying to make a point about Assad's use of chemical weapons and gas against his people but "mistakenly made an inappropriate and insensitive reference to the Holocaust, for which there is no comparison. And for that I apologize. It was a mistake to do that."

During the daily White House briefing, Spicer told reporters that Adolf Hitler "didn't even sink to using chemical weapons." Critics noted the remark ignored Hitler's use of gas chambers to exterminate Jews during the Holocaust.

KANSAS OUTCOME A WARNING TO GOP

WICHITA, Kan. — Republicans have pulled out a victory in Kansas in the first of four U.S. House special elections to replace GOP congressmen named to top jobs in President Donald Trump's administration, but the next contest for a seat in Georgia could be tougher.

The margin of victory Tuesday for Republican Ron Estes in the Kansas 4th District special election slid to only seven percentage points from a 31-point margin in November, when incumbent Mike Pompeo was running before he was appointed Trump's CIA director.

Estes narrowly lost the district's most populous county around the city of Wichita. Trump won that county by 18 points.

J. GEILS, ‘CENTERFOLD’ MUSICIAN, DIES AT AGE 71

GROTON, Mass. — Musician J. Geils, founder of The J. Geils Band known for such peppy early 80s pop hits as "Love Stinks," ''Freeze Frame" and "Centerfold," has died in his Massachusetts home at 71.

Groton police said officers responded to Geils' home around 4 p.m. Tuesday for a well-being check and found him unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

"A preliminary investigation indicates that Geils died of natural causes," police said in a statement.

With nothing at stake in a lost season that will be the worst for Dallas (32-49) since going 20-62 in 1997-98, the Mavericks followed through with an idea hatched in part by star Dirk Nowitzki weeks ago when it was clear Romo wasn't returning to the Cowboys.

Romo was honored exactly a week after announcing he was leaving football to become the No. 1 NFL analyst at CBS.